Thursday, May 3, 2018

Will GOP Moderates Sneak Amnesty Past Trump?

In a body of 435 members all scrambling to get attention, it seems appropriate that there is a rule called “queen-of-the-hill” in the House of Representatives.

Since February, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has been pushing Democrats to use queen-of-the-hill — a rarely used rule that allows votes on several proposals, with the one receiving the most votes over 218 winning the day. Specifically, Hoyer wants to use this tactic to pass the DREAM Act, legislation that would provide amnesty for upwards of three million illegal immigrants.

Now, Democrats have found a willing Republican partner in this strategy.

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) has introduced a resolution that would, if adopted, execute the queen-of-the-hill strategy by setting up votes on four immigration measures: the USA Act, the DREAM Act, Securing America’s Future Act, and a yet unidentified bill to be selected by the speaker’s office.